Tags
Natural Killer Cells
- A type of toxic lymphocyte.
- Produced in bone marrow, lymph nodes, spleen, tonsils, and thymus glands.
- Degrade damaged or stressed cells such as with cancer or viral infected cells.
- Become active 3 days after infection.
- Long-lived with highly specific memories.
- Especially important for cancer or viruses.
- Activated by cytokines.
- Secrete the cytokines TNFa and interferons.
- Releases perforin to cause cell death.
- In obesity - fat tissue increases NK production, insulin resistance, asthma.
- Increased TH1 leads to increased NK cells, leads to decreased TH1